This month’s cover star is a golf legend who has 24 PGA Tour wins, has won the US Open as well as the Masters and has dominated in the sport. At LIV Golf, he is an Owner/Captain of the 4Aces and has achieved success here as well! Dustin Johnson is passionate about the game of golf and with the season kicking off in Riyadh on Feb 4th, we wanted to know more about how he came to this game, how he trains for it to optimize himself for his game, and to know more about why he joined LIV Golf and to understand what it is like for him to be in this role. We also talk with 4Aces GM, Chris Rosaasen to know more about this team, its vision, sponsor brands, and more!
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall in love with golf and when did you realize that you wanted to play it professionally?
DUSTIN JOHNSON: I fell in love with golf as a kid when I was 6 years old. I always wanted to play professionally since I started playing. I knew I was going to play on tour when I was a Junior in college.
AM: In terms of optimizing yourself to hit the course, what is an average week like in terms of fitness or workouts that you do?
DJ: After dropping my kids off at school in the morning, I head straight to the gym. My personal trainer’s name is Joey D, and I have been working with him for a long time. After the gym I head straight to the golf course. When I am on the road during tournament weeks, I am in the gym every day, whether it’s at the gym at the golf course or the hotel. Working out is in my DNA.
AM: You have had a number of accolades in your career, from 24 total PGA wins, being ranked number 1 for 135 weeks, winning the US Open in 2016, winning the 2020 Masters and winning all 4 World Golf Championship events, just as the topline notes. What do those achievements mean to you?
DJ: [Laughs] It means I am pretty good and I won a lot of tournaments.
AM: Why did you want to join LIV Golf as you have done this for 4 seasons, you won the inaugural 2022 LIV Golf Team Championship, and you are about to start your 5th!
DJ: I appreciate and enjoyed my long career on the PGA Tour, and LIV offered me a new opportunity I really believe in. I get to travel the world growing the game that I love, while building one of the first sports franchises in professional golf.
AM: You just signed a 3-year extension to continue playing with LIV. Why are you invested in this League and how are you going to continue to build off your team’s success?
DJ: Similar to my answer above, I feel LIV is the best place for me, and I truly believe in its vision and growth and the 4Aces.
AM: For those that may not be familiar with LIV Golf in terms of its season and its team play, can you tell me more about this?
DJ + CHRIS ROSAASEN: On LIV we play a 14 event global schedule. We play in nine different countries and incredible countries/cities. We are like the Formula 1 of golf, putting on the biggest events in the most exciting places across the world.
AM: You’re the Captain as well as the Co-Owner of 4Aces. Can you tell us about how teams are created?
DJ: In 2022, we started the league with a draft. We’ve continued to evolve and mature as a league, as we welcome new players to the Aces and across all of our teams. I always have my eye on new & young up & coming stars to continue to carry the legacy of the 4Aces.
AM: Chris, you were previously the CEO of TravisMatthew before becoming the GM of 4Aces. Can you tell me about your background, how you came to this team, and what your role entails here?
CR: I originally was introduced to LIV through a handful of players that decided to make the switch from the PGA Tour. I attended the first US event in Portland, Oregon in July of 2022. While attending, I saw team golf apparel being sold for the first time and approached LIV about getting the contract to do apparel for all the teams at the time. That got my foot in the door to understand what LIV was all about. I started sponsoring the 4Aces in 2023 with an apparel company I founded called Extracurricular, and midway through the 2023 season, Dustin approached me about becoming GM of the 4Aces. I have been running the team ever since.
AM: What is your relationship like in working together in this Captain/Co-Owner and GM dynamic?
CR: It’s been great. Dustin has given me the freedom and his trust to run the team. I still see Dustin as my boss, and I run all important decisions by him before they are made, as we are running this business together.
AM: From a back of house perspective, what are the kinds of things that you worked on in the off-season to prepare for the upcoming season?
CR: I work with Max Russell (Our 4Aces Head of Sponsorship) on sponsor pipeline and getting deals to the finish line for the season. Also, strategizing on our team roster for the upcoming 2026 season is always top of mind. Lastly, from a brand building standpoint, we are investing in a new YouTube Series Behind the Aces which will be making its official debut later this year.
AM: How would you define the 4Aces brand?
CR: Our tagline is Primetime. We are the aspirational team on LIV that always gets noticed first when we show up at events. We model our brand off of the winningest, most prestigious brands in professional sports a la Lakers, Yankees, and Mercedes Benz of Formula 1.
AM: Tell us about your fellow teammates and what are your goals for the upcoming season?
DJ: Really excited to add Thomas Detry to the team, our newest team member. He is a proven winner on the PGA Tour and is hungry to continue getting better. I am also pumped to have Thomas Pieters back for this season. He is one of the most talented players on LIV and has so much upside. I am expecting big things from everyone and am optimistic this will be the best roster the 4Aces have ever fielded on LIV.
AM: Throughout the season, you play all around the globe in a number of amazing destinations. What are your favorite destinations and why?
DJ: Love Australia and the energy and atmosphere that crowd brings. Hong Kong is really special and is a great city to play and stay in. Lastly, I am thrilled to be playing in South Africa for the first time and have heard really exciting things. It’s honestly hard to choose, we go to so many great places...
CR: Australia is always top of mind for me and on top of the great crowds and city, the music LIV brings is always top notch and full of energy. Mexico City is the best if you love a food energy on top of a really unique challenging golf course. Finally, my favorite is Valderamma, Spain, an iconic golf course set on one of the most beautiful coastlines of the Mediterranean.
AM: As someone who is always on the go, what are 3 items that you like to bring with you so it feels like you have a sense of home with you?
CR: [Laughs] The road feels like home more than being at home sometimes. We are living out of suitcases 24/7.
AM: You just played at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and you’re about to begin the 2026 LIV Golf season at Riyadh. What are you looking forward to as 2026 seems exciting with going to a 72-hole format.
DJ: I am excited about the 72 hole format. It goes back to the type of golf and format I grew up playing. Also, I think it favors the better players, which I believe benefits my game out here on LIV.
AM: For fans who come to watch you play, what is that experience like as the blend between golf, entertainment, and culture must be such an immersive experience.
CR: LIV Golf’s format is unique in the sense that there is an individual and team competition occurring simultaneously. The shotgun start with everyone teeing off at the same time lends to fans having a 5 hour window on the golf course which allows them to see more of the action in a condensed period. I think LIV does a tremendous job bringing in local food and sourcing world class musical acts, making the experience something that is new and unique to golf. We have artists like Calvin Harris, John Summit, etc playing at tournaments. These are some of the biggest names in Music.
AM: What is the 4Aces Social Club and how does this take attendees enjoyment to the next level?
CR: The 4Aces Social Club is something we are really excited about ramping up in 2026 and beyond. We use it as our moniker to activate exclusive hospitality events both on and off the golf course. In 2025, we had our own private structure in Miami where we hosted friends and family of the team, sponsors, and VIP’s, and threw a couple amazing off-course activations – one being at a private car museum in Indy and a private dinner in Dallas. We have more events planned in 2026 and are continuing to invest in the success of the programming.
AM: From a brand perspective, you have a number of partnerships including your recent Under Armour contract, Santo Studio, Celsius, FlyHouse, SWAG Golf to name a few, You are the first team to have a men’s jewelry partnership via JAXXON and your brands reflect an incredible intersection between culture, luxury, and performance! What is the thought process you implement in terms of determining those brands that you feel best fits 4Aces ecosystem?
CR: Everything with our partners starts with authenticity. Our partners reflect our players and team ethos. Having new partners such as Under Armour – a leader in performance athletic wear and footwear – exemplify those premium brands who are coming on board because of our shared vision for the future of the sport. Frankly, all of our partners fit categories that are important to us as a team, whether that’s Celsius and their Live Fit mantra, which is core to us or FlyHouse, as our Private Aviation Partner and a standard of excellency and innovation in private travel, to DAOU Vineyards which is a world class wine California Wine Brand.
AM: You have a phenomenal career and you’re an owner of this franchise. Who have been mentors of yours as you have navigated your career?
DJ: I have had a some really important mentors in my life. Most important have been my dad, Wayne (Gretzky, my FIL) and Coach Terrell, my college golf coach.
AM: Why do you love this game so much and what do you want your legacy to be known as in this sport?
DJ: I love the challenge of golf. You are never going to be perfect at it. There’s always something you need to work on.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | LIV Golf
Read the JAN ISSUE #121 of Athleisure Mag and see DUSTIN JOHNSON | Champion Legacy in mag.
